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iPad mini Mini vs rMini

ron7624

ron7624

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Oct 14, 2011
2,228
437
Houston, Texas area
I, for one, was one that bought the original mini, 1 minute after launch and have had it glued to my hand or back pocket since. It is a worthy device at 16gb and data.
I received my iPad Mini retina 4 days ago. Yes it is faster, yes the screen is sharper, but the photo's I take with the iphone 5 do not do the screen justice.
Web pages have images with a resolution designed for the average computer... and they are not that sharp and my use with Maps as a gps device doesn't need a lot of resolution either. I read books. The text is fine on both devices.
What am I saying? Well, I saved up a bunch of cash to buy as 32gb data rMini and I am very glad that i have the device, but the 'fractions of a second' (or is it over a second) that I save in load time.. was it worth 700 bucks.... more with Apple care?
I'm not a blogger or this would certainly be a topic.
I really should send back this new device and keep my original love. But no, I'll keep the hot technology and try to trade my year old Mini for a full size iPad. (maybe I will get a 4 to have at home)
In the pit of my stomach, I'm feeling that I've done a non thrifty thing, a thing that i didn't really need to do. A thing that I may be sorry for. Aw, what the hell, I needed the extra storage anyway. :rolleyes:
 
I'm in a similar situation, owning a classic mini which works well for me. Nonetheless I've ordered the new retina mini, which is currently in transit. I did so for the higher resolution screen; I read a lot of pdf documents with mathematical notation, and I figured it would make this a more enjoyable experience. Going to the Apple Store and loading up some of my documents on the demo models, the screen on the retina mini looked a lot nicer than on my classic mini, and convinced me I'd made the right decision. What surprised me was, in addition to the resolution, the coloration of the retina mini looked so much nicer as well; the background for the text seemed to be a purer shade of white. I wasn't expecting that; from reading these forums I thought the screens would be the same except for resolution. Perhaps I have a bad classic mini and didn't realize it, but the difference was noticeable, and I'm not usually one to notice such things.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to my new device, and hope you're enjoying yours. What's done is done, after all, so you might as well enjoy it to the full. :)
 
RickTaylor said:
I'm in a similar situation, owning a classic mini which works well for me. Nonetheless I've ordered the new retina mini, which is currently in transit. I did so for the higher resolution screen; I read a lot of pdf documents with mathematical notation, and I figured it would make this a more enjoyable experience. Going to the Apple Store and loading up some of my documents on the demo models, the screen on the retina mini looked a lot nicer than on my classic mini, and convinced me I'd made the right decision. What surprised me was, in addition to the resolution, the coloration of the retina mini looked so much nicer as well; the background for the text seemed to be a purer shade of white. I wasn't expecting that; from reading these forums I thought the screens would be the same except for resolution. Perhaps I have a bad classic mini and didn't realize it, but the difference was noticeable, and I'm not usually one to notice such things.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to my new device, and hope you're enjoying yours. What's done is done, after all, so you might as well enjoy it to the full. :)
Click to expand...

Here's the bottom line. I've been using my rMini since last Friday, and it is the perfect device for what I wanted: portability, clarity, apps, integration with my home setup, etc. If you loved the original Mini, the rMini only takes you farther in terms of screen clarity and performance. It is an Air, with a washed out color gamut and that .1 Mghz slowdown. If that's important to you, don't buy it. For me, carrying around the power of an Air in my coat pocket is pretty amazing.
 
ron7624 said:
I, for one, was one that bought the original mini, 1 minute after launch and have had it glued to my hand or back pocket since. It is a worthy device at 16gb and data.
I received my iPad Mini retina 4 days ago. Yes it is faster, yes the screen is sharper, but the photo's I take with the iphone 5 do not do the screen justice.
Web pages have images with a resolution designed for the average computer... and they are not that sharp and my use with Maps as a gps device doesn't need a lot of resolution either. I read books. The text is fine on both devices.
What am I saying? Well, I saved up a bunch of cash to buy as 32gb data rMini and I am very glad that i have the device, but the 'fractions of a second' (or is it over a second) that I save in load time.. was it worth 700 bucks.... more with Apple care?
I'm not a blogger or this would certainly be a topic.
I really should send back this new device and keep my original love. But no, I'll keep the hot technology and try to trade my year old Mini for a full size iPad. (maybe I will get a 4 to have at home)
In the pit of my stomach, I'm feeling that I've done a non thrifty thing, a thing that i didn't really need to do. A thing that I may be sorry for. Aw, what the hell, I needed the extra storage anyway. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I have the first mini and placed an order for the retina, but cancelled it after some thinking and buyers remorse.

I also love the new mini, but don't feel comfortable spending all that money. I think I'm going to wait awhile and buy a refurb or wait a year until the next mini to be released when everyone wants to unload what they perceive as an archaic piece of junk.

The OG mini is still a nice machine and yeah, it's becoming a little out of date, but it'll definitely be fine for a year more.
 
ron7624 said:
I, for one, was one that bought the original mini, 1 minute after launch and have had it glued to my hand or back pocket since. It is a worthy device at 16gb and data.
I received my iPad Mini retina 4 days ago. Yes it is faster, yes the screen is sharper, but the photo's I take with the iphone 5 do not do the screen justice.
Web pages have images with a resolution designed for the average computer... and they are not that sharp and my use with Maps as a gps device doesn't need a lot of resolution either. I read books. The text is fine on both devices.
What am I saying? Well, I saved up a bunch of cash to buy as 32gb data rMini and I am very glad that i have the device, but the 'fractions of a second' (or is it over a second) that I save in load time.. was it worth 700 bucks.... more with Apple care?
I'm not a blogger or this would certainly be a topic.
I really should send back this new device and keep my original love. But no, I'll keep the hot technology and try to trade my year old Mini for a full size iPad. (maybe I will get a 4 to have at home)
In the pit of my stomach, I'm feeling that I've done a non thrifty thing, a thing that i didn't really need to do. A thing that I may be sorry for. Aw, what the hell, I needed the extra storage anyway. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I thought I was the only one who felt like this! I had / have the original mini, 16gb wifi, and I have never used a tablet more (also had an iPad 2 which became a second unmoved screen on my desk). It was priced just right at $329, and perfect. Then this retina mini came out, and I sold my mini on CL for $250 and bought the new one for $436, but immediately regretted the decision. Not just because of all the color gamut issues, but I didn't value the increase in sharpness or A7 power for the increase in price. It was also heavier (after using a mini so much the past year, you really do notice) - maybe I would have gotten used to it, but the initial impression caused me to have buyer's remorse. I returned it after a week, and went back on CL and found a mint 32gb wifi mini for $200, and I love it again. Don't miss the retina display one bit, at the distance I hold the mini at to read and work, it's perfectly clear to me. The new retina Mini is just too expensive for what you are getting. Hopefully the price will drop next year for a better product.
 
The original mini is a good device. The rMini just improves on it. I for one like the better wifi reception and screen on my new rMini!
 
I'm the OP. After reading the replies, I thought hmmmm, and went and got my original mini for another comparison, thinking maybe I will return this retina mini while still within the 14 day.. So I went to an Amazon site and left a review on a case that I had purchased that came in today. I zoomed in on the text with my new retina Mini and was amazed at the clarity. The same zoom factor on the same page with my original mini was not nearly as good as I had remembered. So I went to GarageBand on both devices and opened that app. Okay there is no comparison I'm keeping the retina mini and for all of you guys with questions --I'm convinced it's worth it.
 
My original low-res mini isn't that great, yet my new retina version with its image retention, isn't much better. Apple seems to be slacking off. Now that they know exactly how much latitude the buyers give them before buyers will actually complain, they've driven profits higher by building to the lowest standard customers will buy.
 
Pezbaby said:
I have the first mini and placed an order for the retina, but cancelled it after some thinking and buyers remorse.

I also love the new mini, but don't feel comfortable spending all that money. I think I'm going to wait awhile and buy a refurb or wait a year until the next mini to be released when everyone wants to unload what they perceive as an archaic piece of junk.

The OG mini is still a nice machine and yeah, it's becoming a little out of date, but it'll definitely be fine for a year more.
Click to expand...

Made the right choice. I have the original as well and it works perfectly fine. The new one is overpriced, I'm saving my money for the next one, hopefully that one is more of an upgrade.
 
sixrom said:
My original low-res mini isn't that great, yet my new retina version with its image retention, isn't much better. Apple seems to be slacking off. Now that they know exactly how much latitude the buyers give them before buyers will actually complain, they've driven profits higher by building to the lowest standard customers will buy.
Click to expand...

You realize, don't you, that LG, Sharp and Samsung make displays. Apple does not.

Further, image retention is a natural property of IPS displays, though some manufacturers are worse offenders than others.
 
EM2013 said:
Made the right choice. I have the original as well and it works perfectly fine. The new one is overpriced, I'm saving my money for the next one, hopefully that one is more of an upgrade.
Click to expand...

I meant I'll buy this retina mini when the next version comes out, unless that new one completely blows me away.

I'm not suggesting that the mini retina is over-priced. I would get one if I didn't have the mini already. I'm just saying I don't want to spend all that money upgrading. There is a premium people have to pay to have the latest and greatest devices at all times, and if that's their priority, fine. It's just not mine. I need something that does what it's supposed to do well, and the original mini that I've already paid for fits the bill.
 
I have been extremely pleased with my iPad mini. I've used it extensively, and it has successfully replaced about 85 to 90% of my need for a computer. When the retina model came out, I wondered if I would be motivated to upgrade. After spending some time in the Apple Store with my Mini side-by-side with the retina model, my conclusion is that I'm even happier with my purchase.

I see absolutely no difference in the resolution between the screens. I zoomed in on several large photos on both machines and could see no difference in the resolution, as it is limited by the resolution of the photo itself and the limitation as to how far you can zoom in. I can't imagine any situation where the higher resolution would make a difference to my eyes.

Also, while I recognize that the retina model is supposedly faster, I didn't see any noticeable difference between the two. I'm sure that in some cases the difference would be more noticeable, but for my use, the original iPad Mini is still an excellent buy, and if I choose to buy another, I would likely go the refurb route and get an original with 32GB or more.

I'm sure some younger eyes will notice the difference between the screens, and some uses may reveal the difference in performance, so for those who like the retina model, go for it. For my needs and uses, the upgrade isn't even worth $100 to me.
 
Asuriyan said:
You realize, don't you, that LG, Sharp and Samsung make displays. Apple does not.

Further, image retention is a natural property of IPS displays, though some manufacturers are worse offenders than others.
Click to expand...

I have been using IPS displays for years. Long before Apple decided to implement them. In fact I've got all three brands you mention between the various ThinkPad workstation laptops & two of my desktop monitors.

My prior post suggests that Apple is not holding the manufacturers to the same quality standard as in the past. But I do endorse Apples fat margins by using the lowest bidder, it's what keeps my AAPL stock healthy.
 
I been using the original mini since its release without issue. Just one hour ago I was standing in Best Buy with the new Retina model in my hand ready to pay, then it hit me. I just couldn't do it, even with a gift card to cover the cost. I haven't had the chance to actually see the screen for myself yet, maybe that would change my mind. I actually have a new Retina Mini already wrapped for Christmas for daughter but I never took it out of the box to check it.
 
Demiles said:
I been using the original mini since its release without issue. Just one hour ago I was standing in Best Buy with the new Retina model in my hand ready to pay, then it hit me. I just couldn't do it, even with a gift card to cover the cost. I haven't had the chance to actually see the screen for myself yet, maybe that would change my mind. I actually have a new Retina Mini already wrapped for Christmas for daughter but I never took it out of the box to check it.
Click to expand...

There's no substitute for seeing the new retina mini for oneself. When I saw it, I found the increased clarity stunning, and that solidified my decision to upgrade. Other people see the same thing and can't even see the difference. I guess you'll have a chance to see one this Christmas at least. :)
 
Funny enough, I purchased a refurbished 16GB iPad Mini last week. I then saw that an Apple Store that was a little ways away had the rMini in stock. I placed my order for the rMini, picked it up and once the original Mini came, I sent it back without even opening it up. I probably would have kept the original Mini had the Apple Store around me not have it in stock and available for me to pick up the same day.

Honestly, the screen alone was more than enough for me to keep the rMini.
 
It's interesting reading these threads (never had an iPad, looking for an in-between as I have an iPhone and MBP). I wonder how many folks will be getting an iPad Mini starting from none at all. The price is quite attractive and when it comes time to resell it I wonder if maybe the worst of the cost reduction would have already happened? Especially if it's purchased at a Black Friday price.
 
ron7624 said:
I really should send back this new device and keep my original love. But no, I'll keep the hot technology and try to trade my year old Mini for a full size iPad. (maybe I will get a 4 to have at home)
In the pit of my stomach, I'm feeling that I've done a non thrifty thing, a thing that i didn't really need to do. A thing that I may be sorry for. Aw, what the hell, I needed the extra storage anyway. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Different people just have a different tolerance for this. It's something we learn when we're young and it's hard to shake.

I am the same way. I have enough money to afford a retina mini comfortably. In fact, I bought one and have it with me now. But I can't shake this feeling that it's a waste of money. Do I need to check twitter 5/1000 of a second faster? Will the A7 processor save me time encoding videos or improve the experience of playing 3D games. Since I do neither, the answer to those questions is no.

I just can't shake the feeling that an ordinary mini is even overkill for my purposes. It was perfectly fast, just as thin and light. I'm going to return my retina mini and get an old one for $200 less. I don't need the $200 to survive....for me, it's just a bad feeling that comes from spending the money I really didn't need to.

Similarly, I'm meeting someone to downgrade my Macbook Air tomorrow. It's essentially used as a device to download music and movies I just sync to my phone anyway, then it sits around until the next time I need to do that. I could be doing that on a $400 computer. It just gives me a weird feeling knowing that I'm wasting money on these frivolous things when my parents or grandparents would think I was an idiot for spending money like I do.
 
I'm reading a blog that in the comments section,has a black background with white text. On the original mini, with the screen full, that is not zoomed in, the white lettering is very hazy. I read this blog often and remember this problem throughout the past year. With a retina model however the text is razor-sharp at the same level. So a comparison should not always take place at zoomed in close. Compare for yourself at iphone5newsblog.com and go down to the comments section and you'll see the background that I am talking about and the white text.
Although I was having second thoughts about keeping the retina, I'm pretty sure that I will keep it and sell my mini or trade it for an iPad 4 maybe?
I wouldn't mind having a full-size iPad around the house:eek:
 
PhoneI said:
You seriously need some new glasses then. I'm not saying my iPad Mini original had a bad screen, but the new one is incredible.
Click to expand...
Actually, I have new glasses, and see just fine with them. Name something that can be viewed on both screens to illustrate the difference, because I don't see any, except the colors are a bit richer on my Mini than they are on the retina.
 
GGJstudios said:
Actually, I have new glasses, and see just fine with them. Name something that can be viewed on both screens to illustrate the difference, because I don't see any, except the colors are a bit richer on my Mini than they are on the retina.
Click to expand...

I can see the difference when viewing just about anything with text. I downloaded a pdf file from my dropbox and viewed it on the retina mini alongside my classic mini; it's much clearer and less pixelated on the retina. And make certain you're comparing your mini with a retina mini; when I went to the Apple store they had the older and newer ipad minis side by side and except for the screen they looked the same. The quickest way to tell for sure is that the retina mini has a little rectangular hole for the microphone the back towards the center.
 
One thing that mitigates any guilt I might have about such an extravagant upgrade so soon after the original mini was released is that I expect I'll be keeping the retina mini for a long while. In getting the original mini, I knew I was compromising the screen resolution for a smaller device, but with that taken care of, and with a 64 bit processor, there's not much left that's all that important to me. No doubt future versions will be faster, perhaps they'll have touch id or an improved gamut, but I don't see things like that tempting to me to upgrade; they don't have the same force for me as the screen resolution.
 
I also purchased the rMini. I packaged up the original Mini to send to family. I played with the rMini for 4 days and was feeling distinctively uncomfortable at spending $400+ after also purchasing an iPad Air (which I adore).

So I unpacked the original Mini and restored it and did a bunch of side by side comparisons. The screen on my original Mini had always been beautiful from launch and the colors were so much more vibrant than the rMini. Fluke? Probably!

I use Mercury Browser and can increase the font on all websites so reading was always comfortable for me. Kindle App does the same. Obviously, speed was not a huge issue in the farm/sim apps I play :).

Simply, I couldn't justify the expenditure. Returned to Apple by Fed Ex and funds were credited within a day.
 
Tikatika said:
I also purchased the rMini. I packaged up the original Mini to send to family. I played with the rMini for 4 days and was feeling distinctively uncomfortable at spending $400+ after also purchasing an iPad Air (which I adore).

So I unpacked the original Mini and restored it and did a bunch of side by side comparisons. The screen on my original Mini had always been beautiful from launch and the colors were so much more vibrant than the rMini. Fluke? Probably!

I use Mercury Browser and can increase the font on all websites so reading was always comfortable for me. Kindle App does the same. Obviously, speed was not a huge issue in the farm/sim apps I play :).

Simply, I couldn't justify the expenditure. Returned to Apple by Fed Ex and funds were credited within a day.
Click to expand...

Don't the Mini and rMini have the same RGB and color gamut.
 
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